Stoker



E. E. JONES.

Jan. 16, 1923.

ST-OKER.

FILED DEC. 23. l9l9- 3 SHEETS-SHEET I gnmwtoz Z'l7. M62205.

Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,668; E. E. JONES. I

STOKER. FILED DEC. 23, 1919. 3 SHEETSHEET 3.

4 46 8 vweml'oz Jzzas.

flitoqm e1 Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

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EPHEAIMI JONES, 0F SUGAR CITY, COLORADO.

STOKER.

Application filed December 23, 1919. Serial in). 346,949.

tor of the furnace, the fuel being delivered to the fire bed at a point over the top thereof throughout the transverse extent of the fuel bed or across the grate area of said fur nace. A further object of the invention resides in afurnace construction wherein the fire chamber of the furnace provided with a flat suspended arch for rendering the furnace more eflicient by giving the volatile gases from the burning fuel a longer travel and by reason of the preheating of the fuel due to the feed thereof over the top of the fuel bed the said fuel innnediately begins to yield volatile contents on the initial intro duction thereof into the furnace.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, wherein the air supply relative to the fuelibed is regulated and: con trolled to assure the requisite delivery of air to the fuel and into the furnace for the proper burning of the fuel and consumption thereof in the operation of said furnace.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, which is comparatively simple in its structural features, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purpose and operation, practical and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the sh owing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 1 is fragmentary sectional elem-- tion from front to rear through a furnace construction showing some of the associated parts embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing diagranr matically certain port-ions of the furnace construction.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the mechanical feeder, portions of the same being broken away to show certain details thereof.

T0 allwizom it may concern Be it known that I, EPHRAIM E. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sugar City, in the county of Crowley and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoker's, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a furnace constructi on and more particularly to the class of mechanical feeders for hand stoking grate furnaces of the boiler type. I

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, wherein the mechanical feeder is arranged and constructed at the front of the furnace and elevated relative to the hand stoking grate interiorly thereof. i

Another object of the invention is the provision of afurnace construction of this character, wherein the desired quantity of fuel to be introduced in the furnace is controlled ancl the feed thereof effected in a convenient and easy manner, the feederbeing adaptable for use in connection with shaking grates and hand stokers which advance the fuel bed from front to the back of the furnace.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, wherein the fuel within the mechanical feeder. will not become wedged in its passage to the fuel bed within the furnace thereby eliminating the clogging of fuel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, wherein the fuel will fall directly on to the grate at a predetermined distance inside of the front wall of the furnace, the fuel being carried in a hopper on top and directly over the fuel bed, and this hopper is formed with a baffle and an air duct, said. baffle being designed to direct the fuel, while the air duct supplies air over the top of the fuel bed, the air supply being regulatedat the will of an operator, so that any predetermined quantity of air can be admitted over the top of the fuel bed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furnace construction of this character, wherein the coal is fed with a uniform regularity so that the feeding thereof can be varied at the will of the opera- Figure 4 is a plan view in detail of the eccentric drive shaft with adjunct parts of the mechanical feeder.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the eccentric and the eccentric lever link.

Figure 6 is an elevation thereof partially in section.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the pusher rod adjustable connecting sleeve. I

Figure 8 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing in detail one of the castingsfor the hopper and air flume of the furnace construction.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the castings for the hopper.

Similar reference charactersindicate corresponding. parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail A designates the lower brick work or masonry at the front of the furnace construction, 15 the rearbridge wall, which islikewiseof brick work or masonry, C a portion of one'of the vertical columns to which is connected the metal construction D that can be set up out side of the furnace as well as in the furnace construction, it being understood of course that said "brick work or masonry ext-ends at the sides of the furnace usual, E the fire combustion chamber and F the ashpit.

'Arranged rearwardly of the columns C superimposed above the brick masonry of the furnace construction is the header 10 of the boiler tubes 11 of the boiler construe tion which is of any ordinary type, the boiler tubes 11 each being inclined downwardly and rearwardly from the front of the furnace to the bridge wall B thereof. Located in the fire chamber E in the furnace construction and separating the same from the ashpit F is the grate construction G and its mounting, the grate construction being of the hand stoker type that advances the fuel from the front to the back of said furnace construction and is inclined dowi'iwardly and rearwardly as is usual.

Extending transversely or crosswise above the fire combustion chamber E within the furnace construction and suitably mounted in the side walls of the brick work or masonry are spaced parallel I shaped girder and channelbeams 12 and 122 the same being preferably located immediately beneath the header 10. the girder 12 being slightly rearwardly of said headen while forwardly of the beam 12 and parallel therewith is a rel-- atively large channel beam or bar 13 which is disposed crosswise of the furnace construction and constitutes the base sill for the front metal construction D, the space 14 between said girder 12 and the beam or bar 13 being designed to accommodate a galvanized iron gutter 15 which depends therein frogs serving as a hangerfor a flat arch 19.

below the header 10 of the boiler construction. Suitably connected with the girder 12 and the beam 12 at intervals are frogs 16. each of which carry aclamp 17, the said The hanger is also connected with a bracket or cast iron support 18 for face tiling 19 at the inner side of the arch 19. The arch is'suspended over the top of the fire or combustion chamber E and has at its front the masonry of the furnace construction forms the other side of said slot 21, the slot being extended transversely of said furnace construction entirely across the grate area therein. This slot is increased in width from top to bottom and constitutes a fuel opening so that fuel will not wedge and clog therein but will'fall directly onto the grate at distance from six to eighteen inches or more inside ofthe front wall of the furnace construction.

lhe fuel is carried in a hopper which communicates with the slot 21 as is shown in Figures 1 and 8 of the drawings, the hopper 22 is ofsheet metal construction fastened to the metal part'ofthe furnace construction. The front 23 of the hOpperQQ is inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to the furnace construction and overlying the slot 21is a cowl or hood which constitutes an air flume 25, the same being provided at opposite ends with doors 26 which can be opened and closed for regulating the supply of air from without the furnace construc-' tion to be delivered through the slot 21 from said flume, the doors being manually controlled by the operator or attendant. The top or cover of the flume includes spaced superposed plates 24, the lowermost being perforated and is separated from the uppermost plate in any suitable manner, the uppermost plate. being formed in sections and is suitably transversely ribbed so as to strengthen the same thereby preventing the warping thereof, while the space be tween these plates 2% ventilates the top or cover the flume. v

The vertical edge 27 of the cowl or hood constituting the fiunie 25 serves a baffle so that the air will feed over the fuel bed tl'irough the slot 21 and it will be noted that the 'Jcharge of the fuel from the hopper enables the fuel to pass beneath the baffle and also to pass quite close to the slot 21 for the action of the mechanical feeder hereinafter full (lest-flied,

i irrz-mged at the ends of the flame and at intervals therebetween are castings Gwhich are bolted or otherwisesecured in place and support the parts of the flume 25 and the front 23 of the hopper 22 the castings be ing illustrated in de'tail in Figure 10 of the drawings.

Suitably secured to the front 23 of the hopper 22 exteriorly thereof are vertical and angularly disposed brackets 28 and 29 respectively which are also suitably fastened to an angle iron 30 arranged at the upper edge of the front brick work or masonry A of the furnace construction and contiguous to this angle iron 30 upon the front brick work or masonry are fixtures 31 for the mounting of the mechanical feeder hereinafter fully described.

The mechanical feeder comprises bearings 32 in which is journaled an eccentric operating shaft 33 disposed crosswise of the front brick work or masonry and has formed at intervals thereon eccentrics 34, each having a split eccentric strap 35, one section thereof being formed with an arm attaching portion 36 to which is bolted or otherwise secured an arm 37 constituting an eccentric lever which near its upper end has pivoted thereto as at 33 a link 39, the same being adjustably pivoted as at 40 to the adjacent vertical bracket 23, which is provided with spaced holes 41 in any one of which is adapted to be received the pivot 40 for adjustably connecting the link 39 therewith to vary the action of the eccentric lever 37 as will be clearly apparent.

Arranged upon the bottom of the hopper 22 forwardly of the slot 21 and adapted to work through the front 23 of said hopper is a pusher bar 42, the same being formed with pivot extensions 43, each having pivotally connected thereto as at 44 a throw arm 45 which is also pivoted at 46 toa pivot ear 47 on an adjustable clamp 48 partially embracing the eccentric lever 37 and slidably adjustable thereon, the clamp 46 being fitted with a set screw 49 which serves to lock the said clamp 48 in its adjusted position 011 the eccentric lever 37 so that in this manner the pusher bar 42 can be properly adjusted to vary the throw thereof for regulating the feed of fuel from. the hopper 22 through the opening 21 over the fuel bed within the furnace construction.

It will be apparent that the eccentrics 34 on rotation of the eccentric shaft 33 will act upon the eccentric levers 37 and through the medium of the throw arms 45 pivotally connected with the pusher. bar 42 the latter will be reciprocated with regularity for a determined uniform feed of fuel from the hop- 5 per 22 through the slot 21 into the combustion chamber E over the top of the fuel bed within the furnace construction. By the adjustment of the clamps 48 on the eccentric levers 37 the extent of movement of the pusher bar 42 can be varied accordingly to the desired quantity of fuel to be intro duced into the furnace construction.

It is to be understood that each boiler con struction has associated therewith an independent eccentric 34 and pusher bar 42 which corresponds in length to the grate the mechanical feeder is serving with fuel, castings G being suitably slotted to accommodate selected guides for the pusher bars.

With reference to the fiat arch 19 within the furnace construction it will be apparent that a great efficiency is had thereby when burning highly volatile coal as the gases thereform have a greater length of travel since this coal is preheated in the hopper 22 previous to the initial introduction of the coal through the slot 21 into the fire combustion chamber E within the furnace thus yielding its volatile contents quickly. The quantity of air from the flume 25 can be regulated at the will of the operator as is necessary for the perfect combustion of the fuel in the operation of the furnace.

Hinged to the angle iron or angle edge 27 of the flume 25 are swinging plates each designated at 50 which can be swung to the position shown in Figure 3 when it is de sired to repair or inspect the boiler construction and this plate when in normal position serves to prevent coal accumulating upon the cover or top of the flume 25 and directs the coal in the operation for the passage thereof into the slot 21 over the top of the fuel bed.

The mechanical feeder is of such a character as to enable a variable feed of fuel from the hopper 22 within the furnace construction to suit load requirements.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of operation of the furnace construction will be clearly apparent from the drawings and the foregoing description and therefore a more eX- tended explanation has been omitted, the right to the making of changes, variations and modifications of the invention as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims being hereby reserved, without any departure from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. A furnace construction having a fire chamber and a flat arch bridging the fire chamber, said arch being relatively wide, means for suspending said arch, a front wall, the front edge of the arch being spaced from the front wall to provide a slot for the introduction of the fuel. into the chamber, the slot being increased in width. from top to bottom, and an air fiume over the slot and communicating therewith.

2. A furnace construction having a fire chamber and a flat arch bridging the fire chamber, said arch being relatively wide, means for suspending said arch, a front wall, the front edge of the arch being spaced from the front wall to provide a slot for the introduction of fuel into the chamber, the slot being increased in width from top to bottom, an air fiume over the slot and communicating therewith and a baflie on the flume.

3. A furnace construction having a fire chamber and a flat arch bridging the chamher, said arch being relatively Wide, means for suspending said arch, a front Wall, the front edge of the archbeing spaced from the front Wall to provide a slot for the introduction of fuel into the chamber, the slot being increased in Width from top to bottom, an air fiume over the slot and communicatingtherewith, a bafile on the flume and a hopper communicating with said slot.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

EPHRAIM 'E. JONES. 

